In particular in furniture construction, in the case of flexibly configurable pieces of furniture there is a need to carry out rotations and displacements of panels or part bodies of pieces of furniture. Rotations are in this case frequently executed via hinge mechanisms and displacements with the aid of fitted guide rails in combination with casters. In the past, use was also made of complicated articulation mechanisms which allowed simultaneous displacement and rotation of furniture parts with respect to one another.
Under specific space conditions, for example in the case of pieces of furniture located in corners, rotations and displacements are rendered difficult spatially. Moreover, it is frequently necessary to displace heavy table tops with respect to one another, this requiring a particularly robust mechanism. U.S. Ser. No. 556,707 discloses a desk in which a smaller desk top leads to a widening or enlargement of the supporting surface via two guide pins which are displaced in guide channels. The additional small desk top is then secured laterally.
However, it is frequently necessary to couple heavy panels together and displace them. For example, the possibility of both guiding movable panels and securely connecting them together is desirable.